Outside a laundromat on a crisp, sunny day in the Mission District
Reading Night Train to Lisbon, by Pascal Mercier. She picked it up in an airport over the holidays. She was a little put off by the yellow bubble on the cover that says: "over two million copies sold worldwide," but the review on the back sold her:
“This beautiful book…lit like a fuse that snaked its way into my consciousness, sending out sparklers of light that made me feel more alive, more awake, for days. I hated to see it come to an end. What more can one ask?” –Maya Muir, The Oregonian
"I wanted to feel like that," she said. So, she bought the book and, judging from her beatific attitude and general ability to sit outside on a cold day, I would say that the review is accurate.
The book is about a Swiss language teacher who becomes fascinated by the life of a Portuguese poet named Amadeo de Prado, who had been persecuted in a fascist regime, but still managed to shine.
Her favorite book -- The History of Love: A Novel, by Nicole Krauss.
If she were to write her own book, it would be about following her bliss.
What have you read that sent out sparklers of light?
3 Comments:
Emily Dickinson poetry :)
I like to think of translated books as books with subtitles.
Foreign films are the best.
What a wonderful concept and project for a blog. It's certainly good to know [have confirmed] that people still read. Thank you.
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